Coming Home Isn't Supposed To Suck
by Gaara's Plaything
Summary: Sakura returns home to Konoha, but there are a few surprises for her, big ones and small ones. What will she do when a certain red head is in Konoha as well? And what's Temari's deal? Sequel to Fallen Cherry Blossom. GaaSaku. Some NejiSaku and SasuSaku.
1. Reunions

**Lookie! A sequel to Fallen Cherry Blossom! I've been working on this on and off, and they way I've got it figured, it should be done in three parts. But if I have another brainstorm like I did earlier, maybe four. In any case, people were wanting a sequel to FCB, so here it is.**

**I'm also working on one that's from Gaara's point of view during FCB. I wasn't going to, but then a review inspired me, so now I am. Still working out the kinks for that one, so it'll be a little while. In the meantime, please enjoy this.**

**I don't own Naruto, but I do own DVD's with the episodes on them, though.**

_**Coming Home Isn't Supposed To Suck**_

**Chapter One – Reunions**

It was very early in the morning when a figure walked through the gates. The sun was barely poking its rays over the horizon, and the guard on duty had fallen asleep. Pfthhht! Some guard! The person, a woman, walked right by him, smirking to herself. The security here had really gotten lax, and she decided that she was going to have a word with someone about that.

After she'd gone right by the guard, she kept going, heading for one place in particular. There were some things she needed to find out, and there was only one person she wanted to hear it from. After all, if what she'd been told was true, then she really needed to see _him,_ as well. Sighing, Sakura, for that's who this person was, continued on her way towards the place that she knew Naruto would be.

This early in the morning, she was certain that he would probably still be sleeping, and she headed straight for his home. But then her step faltered for two reasons. One: Did he still live in that ratty little apartment? It had been three years since she'd been here, after all. Maybe he'd moved? Two: Was he going to be happy to see her? They hadn't exactly parted on amicable terms. They'd both yelled at each other, hurling insults, though Sakura thought that perhaps she was the only one who'd truly meant them at the time.

Shaking herself, she refused to let herself be daunted. Naruto would not reject her, no matter what. So she continued on her way. But she didn't get very far before she ran into someone else instead.

"Sakura?"

Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee were standing there, and Sakura sighed. Oh well, maybe they could confirm Naruto's whereabouts.

"Hi guys," she said.

Lee gave her one of his trademark grins and thumbs up. "Sakura-san!" he declared. "It is good that you have come back! Naruto-sama will be glad to see you!"

_Naruto-sama!? _Why had Lee added the honorific? Neji must have noticed her confusion for he said, "I guess you don't know... Naruto is Hokage."

Sakura's jaw dropped and she stared at them stupidly for a moment before it finally sunk in.

"That's sooo great!" she cheered. "Just like he always said, he did it!"

Lee grinned. "Your youthful enthusiasm is apparently undaunted!" he exclaimed. "Just you wait, when Naruto sees you, everything will be the way it's meant to be after all!"

He rushed off to do kami only knew what, and Sakura was left with Neji, who gave her a short bow and said, "It _is _good that you have returned, Sakura."

"Thanks," she replied, grabbing a hold of his arm. "I have missed this place."

Neji smiled slightly. "A lot of people have missed you," he said. "I know that Ino will be glad you've returned. And Sasuke as well."

Sakura's heart missed a beat. "So it's true, then?" she whispered.

"It's true," came the confirmation.

They walked for a little longer, just chatting about random things, comfortable with one another's company. Which was good, all things considered. Neji was a good friend, having been more than that to her once before. Her thoughts might have gone down a reminiscing track, but there was a sudden yell, her only warning before she was tackled.

"SAKURA-CHAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Naruto had found her. A small glimpse of green told Sakura that Lee must have gone to get Naruto when he ran off before. While she was glad that he didn't seem to be holding a grudge (she hadn't really thought he would anyway), he was kind of pressing a heck of a lot too hard against her ribs.

"Naruto!" she growled. "Let me go!"

Rather reluctantly, Naruto got off of her so that she could get up, and he grinned sheepishly at her as she dusted herself off. "Uh... sorry about that, Sakura-chan," he said. "I'm just really glad you came back, is all."

Sakura sighed. "Naruto," she said. "That's no excuse for trying to juice me like an orange!"

Anything Naruto was about to say was interrupted by another voice, one Sakura hadn't heard in years. "Do you really expect the dobe to behave any differently? Really, Sakura, that's something that will never change."

Turning around carefully, Sakura finally came face to face with the person that had hurt her more than anyone else in her life. "Sasuke," she greeted. "I'd heard you were back."

"Hn," he replied. "Really? Did _you _come back because you missed me too?"

Everyone's gaze swivelled to her, and Sakura knew they were expecting her to blow up, hug him tightly and gush, or something else. But she wasn't really sure what sort of reaction she should have to seeing him after so long. And it was unexpected, too, him just turning up right behind her like that, no warning at all. Walking rather calmly up to the Uchiha, she stared at him a moment as if contemplating his question.

"Did I come back because I missed you?" she kinda repeated. "Not really, when you think about it. I did miss you, though. After all, you were my team mate."

Sasuke smirked. "Well in that case," he said, "welcome back."

"Likewise, Sasuke. Likewise."

They all started walking then, Naruto chatting happily to her about everything that had happened in the village while she was away. Apparently his infatuation with Hinata had panned out, and the two of them were married and expecting their first child. Ino had married Chouji, Lee was seeing some girl, Tenten was in a long-distance relationship with Kankurou, and Shino had gotten married to a girl his parents had introduced him to. It was no surprise when he told her that Shikamaru was seeing Temari.

"I was in Suna a little while ago," Sakura told her friend. "There was a festival at the time, too."

"Really?" Naruto asked. "That must have been their Festival of Liberation, you know, when they broke free of Earth Country _ages_ ago. Speaking of which, the sand siblings are here in Konoha, right now."

_What!?!?!? _That would mean that Gaara... A feeling of panic welled up into Sakura as she allowed the realisation that the red head just might have a few issues with her. Only natural, she supposed. She did leave him alone after their little 'encounter.' He might even be pissed that she'd abandoned him. But maybe he didn't care? After all, it wasn't as if they'd agreed on anything in particular. Just a night of unbridled passion.

Naruto was talking again, and she shook herself out of her thoughts to listen to him. "...really should go do it. I think it's a great idea, too. What do you think, Sakura-chan?"

Huh? "Um... Sorry Naruto, I kinda spaced out there. What did you say?"

Naruto sighed. "I said, 'Do you want to go see Temari and Ino?" he asked. "They should be over at Yamanaka Flowers right now."

Deciding that it would probably be best to get it all over and done with, Sakura nodded and allowed Naruto to drag her off to see her best friend (other than Naruto).

Once there, Naruto pushed her inside, even though she could have gotten in herself. Immediately she was greeted with the sight of Ino serenely stacking some rather expensive-looking, ceramic flowerpots. The blond turned to see who'd come into the store, a welcoming smile on her face. When she saw Sakura, she nearly dropped the pot she was holding. Calmly she put the pot where it was supposed to go, then turned back to her friend.

"Forehead!" she greeted, a grin spreading across her features as she launched herself at Sakura.

Enveloped in Ino's welcoming hug, Sakura eagerly hugged back. "Hey Ino-pig!" she greeted. "Does this mean you missed me?"

Ino pulled back and whacked her on the arm. "Of course I did!" she exclaimed. "We all did!"

"So troublesome."

Sakura turned to see Shikamaru and Chouji standing in the doorway. Chouji was grinning at her and Shikamaru wore his usual bored look, but Sakura saw a smirk hidden in there. Sakura flew at them both, hugging them tightly despite Shikamaru's protests. Chouji, on the other hand, simply laughed and hugged her back.

"Welcome back, Sakura!" he said.

And then someone else appeared in the doorway, and Sakura held her breath, waiting for what Temari would say. "Sakura," she greeted coolly.

Shit. Was that a good sign or a bad sign? She didn't know Temari well enough to know what the sand kunoichi was thinking. But then, she was being cool towards her. Did this mean that she knew about what happened? Had Gaara told her everything?

"Hey, Temari-chan!" Naruto greeted. "Look! Sakura-chan came back!"

"I can see that, Naruto," the wind mistress said.

There was an uncomfortable silence that it seemed only the knuckle-headed Hokage didn't get, then Ino chimed in, "Well, I have an idea! Forehead, you and me are going to go to breakfast and you are going to tell me absolutely everything that you did while you were gone."

She marched forward and grabbed Sakura's arm, heading straight out the door. "What, _now_?" Sakura squeaked.

"Don't worry, dear!" Chouji yelled after them. "I'll look after the shop!"

Spending time catching up with Ino was great, she had to admit, and as they ate their fancy breakfast in a cafe that Ino said was new, but really good, Sakura realised just how much she'd missed hanging out with her best friend. That is, until she started on about the way Temari had been.

"Honestly!" she huffed. "That woman has always been rude, but the way she spoke to you? I mean, come on! Why on earth would she be like that?"

Sakura shrugged, not really wanting to divulge what had happened in Suna. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that Temari _knew _what had happened. Whether Gaara had said something or not. She'd been there after all, and could very well have seen the two of them disappear together.

"She probably hates me," Sakura mumbled, and Ino gave her a funny look.

Inwardly groaning, she wondered why the hell she'd said that out loud. "Why would she hate you?" the blond asked.

"No reason," Sakura mumbled, and then winced at the look that appeared on her friend's face.

"Something happened," Ino deduced. "But what? Hm... Were you in Suna at any point while you were gone?"

Sakura looked away and Ino smirked. "You were!" she said triumphantly. "So, did you do something to upset her? Insult her fans? Her pigtails? Mention Shikamaru? Sexually assault one of her brothers?"

Sakura blushed suddenly and Ino's eyes lit up. "You did her brother?" she asked. "Was it Kankurou? No, guess not. Oh my god... don't tell me...!"

This was not good. Ino was too good at getting things out of her without the pinkette even saying anything. Which was how she'd found out about a certain crush that Sakura'd had years ago, and it wasn't Sasuke.

"Just stop there!" Sakura interrupted Ino before she could say anything.

"Alright, but from the way Temari was, I think you're in deep shit."

Geeze! Ino-pig was _sooo _helpful!

The rest of the day was spent wandering around Konoha, visiting family and old friends. To her delight, she discovered that Kakashi was _not _dead, though his survival was a miracle that it seemed people were going to talk about for years to come. He'd been left for dead, and nearly _had_ died, but apparently Naruto had found him when he'd gone chasing after Sasuke just after Sakura had left. Sai had died, though, so there was a dead team mate after all.

Finally, their trip ended back at Ino's shop, and it was then that Sakura realised that she didn't really have anywhere to stay. She'd told her mother to sell her apartment when she'd left, and was now basically homeless. She groaned. Why hadn't she thought of this sooner?!

"What's wrong, Forehead?" Ino asked.

"I just realised that I'm homeless," Sakura revealed. "I think I'm gonna have to go mooch off of my cousin."

"NO WAY!!" Ino yelled, startling her. "There's no way that you're dragging your sorry ass to Marumi's! She'll torture you over there! No, you can stay with Chouji and me."

There was no arguing with her. When Ino got worked up about something like this, you weren't getting out of it, no matter what it was.

Chouji was still there when they got back, but Shikamaru had left with Temari, something Sakura was glad for. She really didn't want to be around a judgemental sand kunoichi. For all she knew, Temari might just take it upon herself to 'punish' Sakura for what happened. Even though the pinkette still wasn't sure how much she knew about that night.

Allowing Ino to drag her inside, Sakura decided that to the best of her ability, she was going to avoid the sand siblings for the duration of their stay.

**So, that's one chapter. I had so much trouble coming up with a title for this, it was sooo annoying. But finally I just settled on something a little silly that kind of sums up what I'm going to be doing with this. Anyway, review please!**


	2. Some Issues

**Nice brand new chapter. Enjoy!**

**Naruto is not mine.**

**Chapter Two – Some Issues**

Just walking along the street was actually quite soothing, Sakura decided. And that was what she was doing right now, walking. Only Sasuke was with her and there was an uncomfortable silence. Neither one of them had really said anything once Naruto'd ditched them after _promising _to shout them ramen, but the stupid baka had then said he was late for a very important meeting with Gaara, and had bailed, leaving _them _with the bill!

Back on topic, just what did you say to the guy who broke your heart, knocked you out, left you on a cold bench where anything could have happened to you, then spent the better part of ten years trying to kill you and someone that you cared for? Apparently nothing, unless there was a hyper blond there to get the conversation going. Naruto's presence had eased their conversation, but he was gone now, and they were on their own.

Mustering up… whatever she needed, Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Sasuke beat her to it.

"I'm sorry."

…

"Excuse me?"

Sasuke sighed. "I'm sorry, Sakura," he repeated. "I've spent the last two and a half years or so wondering if I was going to get the chance to apologise, so there you go. I'm sorry."

She was surprised, that was for sure. Sasuke had never struck her as the sort of person to apologise, for anything, and especially not about something like this. And yet, he'd just uttered the words she'd always longed for over the years, but instead of punching him and doing all the other things she'd imagined, all she did was say, "Oh."

Not much of a reaction, that was for sure. Sasuke seemed to agree with that, because he said, "Hn. I expected you to blow up at me, or even just hit me at least."

"So did I," Sakura admitted. "What an anti-climatic let-down."

And then something amazing happened. The corners of Sasuke's mouth curved upwards and he… smiled? What? No smirk? Just by that one little thing, Sakura realised that Sasuke had definitely changed, and for the better, too, she felt.

"That was nice," she said.

"What was?"

"You smiled," she told him. "No smirk, just a nice, genuine smile."

"Hn."

She'd embarrassed him, she could tell. It was amazing how after all these years, she still knew how to translate his grunts. Naruto would be so proud. Still, at least they were talking now, another proud moment for Naruto. Smiling slightly Sakura continued to walk, Sasuke naturally keeping pace beside her.

After awhile they reached the training grounds, which were conspicuously empty at the moment. Maybe people hadn't finished with their lunches yet. Either way, there was no one around, and it seemed oddly eerie. The two of them sat down on a large log, silence reigning once again. _So much for progress,_ Sakura thought.

At least, that was what she thought until Sasuke took hold of her hand. Her eyes shot to his, wide and startled, and she knew that he could see the question in her eyes.

"Sakura," he said. "You've been back for two days."

Well, duh. Two days ago it was that she'd arrived, and she'd been congratulating herself on avoiding the sand siblings. Well, two of them. Temari had come around yesterday with that judgemental look in her eyes, but Ino had quickly gotten Sakura out of there, much to the pinkette's relief. But what was Sasuke's point?

"I just wanted to…" He paused, and she squeezed his hand.

"Whatever it is, just say it," she encouraged, but he shook his head.

"I think I'll just show you," he said, and before she could react, he leaned in and kissed her.

It was actually a rather nice kiss, and Sakura could feel tingles all over her skin, but it didn't hold the magic that she'd felt the first time she'd ever kissed Neji, or the dynamite passion of that night when Gaara had ravaged her lips with his own. This was a definite sign that she was over Sasuke, even though she'd known it for years now. But she let him kiss her, that childhood dream of doing so being the reason she let it continue.

Eventually Sasuke pulled away, and she had a feeling that he'd figured out what she'd been thinking. "You don't feel that way anymore," he stated and she shook her head.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"It's alright," he assured her. "I suppose it was stupid to think that you would really wait for me, especially after everything."

There was an awkward silence, and Sakura figured that soon her and Sasuke would have them down to an art form, if the Uchiha didn't already. There were a lot of things she wanted to ask him, about his time away, like was Orochimaru really a paedophile? …Maybe he wouldn't answer that one, though. But what about his 'replacement' team? Hebi or Hawk or whatever it was they were called. Had he decided to leave them behind when he returned? Were they dead? Did they leave _him_ instead?

Wherever they were, they weren't in Konoha. Sakura knew she would have heard about it by now, especially while living under the same roof as Ino. So she decided to break the silence and ask him.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Hn?" Was it just her, or did he 'hn' just a little bit too quickly?

"I was just wondering," she went on. "What happened to that team of yours? You know, the one you got in Sound?"

"Juugo is dead," Sasuke said. "Suigetsu went back to Mist and Karin took off in a huff when I wouldn't marry her."

Sakura's eyebrow rose. "Really?" she asked.

"Hn," was the expected reply. "She was a fan girl, right through to the end."

Sakura couldn't help feel sorry for the girl, especially since she knew what it was like to be one as well. Sighing, she stood, Sasuke following suit. The last Uchiha looked a little uncertain for a moment, like he was trying to figure out whether or not to do something, and in the end, he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.

"I have to go," he told her. "See you later."

He vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving Sakura alone in the training grounds. At least, she wasn't alone for long. A few moments after Sasuke left, she felt another chakra signature approach her, one of the ones she'd been desperately trying to avoid. Turning around, she came face to face with Temari, and the Suna kunoichi looked like she wanted to murder someone.

"Hello Sakura," she greeted coldly. "I see you're already moving in on the Uchiha."

…

What? "What the hell are you talking about?" Sakura demanded, and the older woman snorted.

"I saw the way you two kissed!" she told her. "Both times! You really didn't wait long, did you? Two days! I expected you to jump him sooner, really."

_Snap_! Sakura was mad now! "Who the hell do you think you are to speak to me like that?" she demanded in a dangerously controlled voice. "After the way _you_ were five years ago, nothing you say has any weight with me anymore!"

Temari flushed red in embarrassment, then snapped, "That was different! And none of your damned business!"

"_This_ is none of your business!" Sakura yelled. "You have absolutely no say in anything I do or don't do with Sasuke! Or with anyone else for that matter!"

"Then you have no say about me and Shikamaru!" the wind mistress yelled back.

"Exactly my point!" Sakura was still yelling. "You have no say about what I do with Sasuke, just like I have no say about what you do with Shikamaru!"

"What about Gaara!?"

Sakura froze. Gaara?

"What about that night, Sakura?" Temari asked. "I know where the two of you went after that, and I know the way he was the next morning. He was going crazy looking for you! You just left him there!"

Temari was practically screaming at her now. "You left him alone, after all he's been through in his life! Don't you get it, Sakura? Gaara's not the sort of person to just sleep with anyone! He cares about you, he has for some time now!"

Sakura froze and Temari's eyes widened as her hands flew to her mouth in an almost childish attempt to stop her words, even though it was too late for that. "What?"

"Oh shit!" the wind mistress cursed. "I did _not_ say that! You didn't hear that, ok?"

"He… cares about me?" Sakura asked, a little dazed from the revelation. "Wait, do you mean cares as in cares, or cares as in loves?"

She was almost afraid of the answer. The last time someone had told her they loved her, it had been Neji. But then their relationship had basically fizzled out because of the war. Admittedly, she had been thinking about trying to rekindle that spark they'd had, but now, with what Temari had told her…

Temari groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I shouldn't have told you," she muttered. "Gaara doesn't even know that I know about this! Only Kankurou is supposed to know, and Gaara had sworn him to secrecy!"

"Temari!" Sakura snapped. "What did you mean by he cares!?"

The older woman sighed and relented by saying, "From what Kankurou told me, Gaara has been in love with you since the Akatsuki took Shukaku from him."

Sakura was rocked to her core. He'd been in love with her for that long? How could this have happened? They hadn't really interacted back then. Was it a 'from afar' thing, then? She was so confused. What the hell was she going to do? It wasn't like she returned those feelings, because she didn't, right?

"Why didn't he say anything, or try to do anything?" she asked.

"Because," Temari told her, "the next time we saw you guys, you were with Neji, and Gaara is too honourable to come between two people."

There was a slight note of guilt in the other woman's voice, and Sakura realised that she must be thinking about what had happened between her, Shikamaru and Ino five years ago. But Sakura wasn't here to provide absolution for her, she was far too distraught for that. There was only one question on her mind now. What the hell was she going to do about Gaara?

"I have to go," Sakura mumbled vaguely, leaving Temari just standing there in the training grounds.

Wandering through the streets of Konoha, Sakura thought back to a month ago, when she'd been in Suna. Trying to remember how Gaara had been, if he had acted in a way that would have shown what he was feeling. Well, he'd taken her back to his place and blown her away with his touch. What else? Oh, the way he'd acted when she'd told him she wasn't a shinobi anymore. He'd seemed a little angry, though she hadn't really thought about why.

Suddenly she stopped in the middle of the street. Gaara had whispered something, and she'd completely missed it. Even now, Sakura had no idea what he'd said, but back then, she hadn't noticed. What the hell had he said?

It could have just been her name. That was the most logical conclusion. Yeah, that was probably it. What else could it have been? It's not like he would have declared his love to her, that was very un-Gaara-ish. Then again, anything could come out of a person's mouth in the throes of passion.

This was so annoying! Sakura really felt like pulling her hair out in frustration. But even as she stood there, in the middle of the street, a strange sensation washed over her and she got the feeling that she was being watched. Looking around, she finally found the source in the form of black rimmed, jade eyes. _Gaara. _Oh shit!

Sakura was frozen in abject terror as the powerful red head made his way towards her. Wait… Why was she afraid? She was a mature adult, she could handle this! Gaara stopped an arms length in front of her, and for a moment, the two of them simply stared at one another. The minutes ticked by until finally he spoke.

"Sakura," he greeted, and his voice sent chills along her spine.

"Gaara," Sakura replied.

Silence returned, and it was extremely awkward. Sasuke no longer held the award for the most awkward silence with her; that title now belonged to Gaara. Finally, said red head reached out and brushed lightly at a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes.

"Why did you just leave?" he asked. "I looked for you, but you were already gone."

"I'm sorry," Sakura whispered. "I've been in a very difficult place for the last few years. I didn't think you expected me to stay."

She couldn't do it. With the revelation of Gaara's feelings, she just couldn't stay there. Mumbling an apology, Sakura turned and fled, grateful when she realised that Gaara was not following her.

**So, that was weird to write, don't ask my why. I've got a bit of writers block right now, but I'm working on it. Plus, I wrote a Christmas story that's got no pairings that I'll be putting up either Christmas Day or the day before. Look out for it, and make sure you review it, ok? Oh, and definitely review this too! See ya!**


	3. Party Planner Extraordinaire

**Another chapter! The next one should be the last one. Enjoy!**

**Don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter Three – Party Planner Extraordinaire**

"Are you crazy?!"

Sakura stared at Ino like she'd gone mad.

"What?" the blond woman asked. "It's just a party."

"Yeah, a huge party that no one asked you to plan!" the pinkette argued.

"Not true," Ino was quick to point out. "Naruto mentioned it would be good to have a proper party to welcome you back. I just went ahead and started planning it, that's all."

Sakura rolled her eyes. Naruto. Of course. Who else would it be to assist in the plotting of her downfall? …Ok, maybe that was a bit overly dramatic, but she really didn't want to attend some stupid party that her two dumb blond friends put together. There would definitely be tons of alcohol, which would then cause the guys to act like violent lechers, and the girls to act all stupid and giggling. While it was something that was usually fun for her, when it was a party held in you honour, then all that attention was mostly focused on you.

Sighing, Sakura looked heavenward for a sign, returning her gaze to Ino when she found none. "Alright," she agreed ever so reluctantly. "But you make sure that nothing goes wrong! Especially where Lee is concerned. And Naruto, and Kiba, too!"

"No problem!" Ino declared, conveniently forgetting all those other parties that usually got out of control.

_Why me? _Sakura thought.

Hours later, she had no choice but to be impressed. Ino was truly a miracle worker where parties were concerned, and had arranged everything on time: the venue, food, booze and music. Plus it seemed that all of their friends were magically available for the party, including people who were usually super busy, like Shino, Gai-sensei and even Anko. With that crazy bitch (and she meant that affectionately) attending, there really was no telling what was going to happen.

It was natural to assume that the sand siblings would be coming, too. Naruto, who was still clueless about the tension that was still between Sakura and Temari, would have definitely insisted that they come. Sakura had yet to see Kankurou, though she'd heard that he'd been spending a lot of time with Tenten, whom Sakura also hadn't seen much of except when she'd first arrived. Gaara had remained mercifully absent since the incident yesterday.

Right now, as she gazed out at the throng of people who were probably mostly just here for an excuse to party, Sakura felt someone come up behind her, and she turned, already knowing who it was.

"Hello Sakura," Neji greeted, bowing low to her. "You look beautiful tonight."

Sakura blushed lightly at his comment, then directed attention away from herself. "Don't you think Ino's gone a little overboard with this party?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It seems no different from the usual ones," he remarked, and Sakura knew he had a point.

He held out his arm to her. "May I dance with you?" he asked, and she took his arm.

There were already tons of people dancing, and the music that reverberated through the establishment was _not _the sort that encouraged happy little do-gooders. No, this music was more like auditory sex, as the beat was thrumming through people's bodies. The fact that there was plenty of alcohol simply spurred people on and already there were couples getting more than a little hot and heavy. Sakura saw Ino and Chouji making out, then Tenten and Kankurou. Hinata and Naruto were also dancing seductively, and Sakura could see her old shyness coming through in her moves.

Neji's hands were wandering slightly, and Sakura leaned into his touch eagerly. She'd really missed him these past years, and she wanted to be with him again, but she couldn't deny that the revelation of Gaara's feelings had had her wondering, too. Both men were really good kissers, both were _extremely _good in bed and both of them stirred something inside her heart. With Neji, she knew exactly what that was, but with Gaara, she was still uncertain.

For a few hours the two of them danced on and off, then Sakura felt a tingle run along her spine. Unerringly her gaze wandered over to the main door to find that Gaara had decided to attend the party. His own gaze seemed to find her instantly and for a moment, the two of them stared at one another, long distance. Neji's hands were roaming again though, and Gaara looked away, moving over to a different side of the packed room, away from them.

Sakura turned back to her dancing partner and tried her best to ignore the fact that Gaara was somewhere in the same room, but she couldn't. Eventually she pulled away from Neji and made her way to where food and alcohol were still being served. Ino was still there, and she was watching contentedly as Chouji ate from a rather large plate full of food.

"Hey pig," Sakura greeted. "Great party."

Neji had followed and was now wrapping his arms around her. "Indeed," he concurred. "You have done a magnificent job."

Ino smiled graciously, then noticed that the two of them were joined together. "Uh… are you guys back together?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at Sakura.

"Maybe," the pinkette said, shrugging.

Ino smiled happily, but Sakura caught a small spark that meant she really wanted to talk to her, so she turned to Neji and said, "Hey, Ino and I gotta talk. Will you be alright by yourself?"

Neji released her and nodded. He knew that Sakura and Ino had a way of sending signals to one another, and he probably figured that it was about him that Ino wanted to talk to her, and he wasn't far off, either. As soon as he left, Ino pulled Sakura close and began her interrogation.

"So, are you two back together, forehead?" she asked. "What about Gaara? What are you going to do about that, huh?"

Sakura rubbed her temples. "Pig, I don't know what I'm going to do," she admitted. "I know that I still have feelings for Neji, but when Gaara walked in before…"

Ino smirked. "You noticed him instantly and you wished you were with him instead of Neji, right?" she guessed.

Sakura nodded. "I'm so confused," she admitted. "Ever since Temari told me about her brother's feelings, I've been worrying about it. I don't know what to do, Ino."

Ino looked thoughtful for a moment, then she said, "Well, it seems to me that you've got unresolved feeling for both guys. I suggest you just go with the flow with Neji, but be careful where Gaara's concerned. You already know that you go well with the Hyuuga, so maybe he's your best bet."

Sakura sighed and looked over to where Neji was talking with Lee. Ino was right, Neji was the best bet. But then her gaze wandered and connected with Gaara once again. He was standing in a corner, looking like he was barely tolerating Naruto yapping in his ear. Jade eyes immediately sensed her gaze and he looked up, eyes boring into hers. Sakura's breath caught and she couldn't look away, it was Gaara who broke the connection as he turned to Naruto to answer a question he'd undoubtedly asked.

"Well, well," Ino said. "Maybe I was wrong. The connection just then, it was dynamite!"

Sakura turned to stare at her friend. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, the way the two of you were staring at each other, that sort of thing doesn't come along very often," Ino told her. "It looks like the two of you really have potential!"

"So now you're saying I should go with Gaara?" was the question, but the blonde shook her head.

"What I'm saying is that you've got one heck of a choice in front of you," she told her. "From what I've seen tonight, you've still got your old connection with Neji, and it's a very viable choice for you. But it seems that there's a spark between you and Gaara that's just waiting to take hold."

Sakura sighed. "You're really no help. Pig," she groaned.

Neji came over then. "Are you two finished?" he asked. "Can I have her back, Ino?"

Ino grinned wickedly. "Help yourself," she said, then winked at Sakura.

"Stupid pig," Sakura grumbled as Ino returned to her beau.

Neji's arms immediately wrapped around her, and he pulled her back onto the dance floor, where they resumed their seductive motions. Eventually Neji seemed to get bored and he pulled her out of there and into the street. Then he was kissing her, pushing her against a wall in his urgency. Responding eagerly, Sakura returned the kiss with a passionate fury that threatened to overwhelm her. She moaned as Neji's hands wandered under her shirt, cupping her bra clad breasts. Neji was pressing into her so hard that she could feel his growing erection. Smiling smugly, she rubbed against it, making him groan slightly.

"Kami, Sakura," Neji whispered hoarsely. "I want you so much!"

Sakura slid her hand down between them, cupping him as he ground into her hold. At the moment they were in an alleyway, and it seemed that he was ready to take her right then and there. Not that the location really mattered, they'd done it in far more risqué and public places before. (_Inside_ a club once, while they were on a mission.) Neji pushed her skirt up, sliding his fingers under her panties and up into her core.

Sakura arched against him as he pumped his digits into her, but then she went and did something so totally and utterly stupid that she knew she was going to have to shoot herself later. "Gaara," she moaned.

Instantly Neji stiffened, his fingers stilling inside her. "What did you say?" he asked calmly.

Deceptively calm, she figured. "Um... Neji?"

Neji removed his fingers and pushed away from her, glaring. "I'm not an idiot, Sakura," he warned her. "You said Gaara's name. Why on earth would you say his name?"

Absently pulling the hem of her dress back down, she prevaricated, "Um… I don't know."

"Sakura!" Neji growled warningly, coming close to her again and pushing her against the wall once more.

Sakura sighed. "Fine," she surrendered. "Neji, I have a confession to make. About a month ago, I was in Suna, and I slept with Gaara. I treated it as a one night stand, but thanks to Temari, I found out that Gaara hadn't thought of it that way. Apparently he has feelings for me…"

"Feelings?" Neji interrupted, stepping back. "What do you mean?"

Sakura sighed. "She told me that he's in love with me," she confessed. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since then! I guess it's mostly because I think I might have some feelings for him too."

Neji took another step back, and he looked like he was trying to process everything that she was saying. "Do you still love me?" he asked.

Closing the distance between them, Sakura brought her hand up to his cheek. "I think that I will always love you," she told him, and she felt stupid for sounding so corny.

Neji pulled her into his embrace suddenly, holding her tightly to him. "Go to him," he told her. "If it doesn't work out, I'll still be here for you."

Sakura hugged him back. "Thank you," she whispered, then pulled away, leaving him standing there and watching after her.

Gaara was not inside when Sakura returned to the club. He was gone. Where could he be? Ino and Chouji were gone, and Naruto, Hinata Temari, Shikamaru and the others were gone as well. So, the party was over then. Bummed out, she left the building and headed for a spot that she always loved to go to think. It was a park she'd found not long after Sasuke had left all those years ago, and it was very peaceful.

Once there, she sat down on a bench to collect her thoughts. Neji was giving her a chance to sort out her feelings for Gaara, but beyond knowing that they were strong and confusing, Sakura had no real idea what they were. Sure, she'd told Neji this, but what were her feelings really, anyway? Had she made a huge mistake to choose Gaara over Neji? If so, why had she moaned _Gaara's_ name when it was _Neji's_ fingers that had been buried inside her? Belatedly she realised that her body was still thrumming slightly from her earlier pleasure.

Emotions overwhelmed her and tears began to prick at her eyes. Why was this happening to her? Why couldn't she love one person and one person only and be done with it? Why did everything have to be so confusing? Why the hell would she moan one guy's name while almost screwing another? How could she be the type of person to do that?

Sniffling, she wiped fresh tears away, then jumped a mile in the air when a voice asked, "Why are you crying?"

Turning around, Sakura came face to face with the person she had been looking for. Gaara.

**There you go, nicely set up for the next chapter. Review!**


	4. So Much For My Happy Ending

**Last chapter! A combination of yahoo and dang! You know, because it's over? Anyway, make sure you enjoy!**

**Don't own Naruto.**

**Chapter Four – So Much For My Happy Ending**

"Uh, Gaara," Sakura stated, rather obviously and a little dumbfounded, despite the fact that she had been looking for him, after all. "W-what are you…?"

"I saw you before, with Hyuuga," Gaara interrupted her. "I thought that the two of you were going to… Why are you by yourself now?"

Looking away, Sakura had absolutely no idea what to do. Gaara had basically said that he thought that she was in Neji's bed right now instead of here, and she probably would have been if she hadn't moaned the wrong name. No… scrap that, she _definitely _would have been there right now.

"It doesn't matter," she told him, and sniffed, but not because she was upset, just because her sinuses needed clearing.

But Gaara obviously thought differently, because he came to sit next to her and asked, "Did he upset you? Is that why you're crying?"

And only now did it actually occur to her that he probably thought she was upset because of the combination of her tears and her sniff. "I'm not upset," she told him. "We didn't argue. We just… didn't do what I thought we'd do."

"Ah," Gaara spoke. "So you are sad because you aren't engaging in sexual activities with him right now?"

Sakura gave him a weird look. "No," she told him. "I already said I'm not upset."

"Then why were you crying?" He would not be daunted.

She shrugged. "Sometimes a girl just needs to cry."

There was silence between the two of them, then it was broken when Sakura whispered, "I'm sorry. You know, for abandoning you when I was in Suna. I shouldn't have done it."

She heard him take in a deep and slightly shaky breath before he spoke, "You don't need to be sorry. I suppose I was expecting too much for you to stay. I mean, I didn't ask you to, so you had every right to leave."

Tentatively, Sakura reached out her hand and let it rest on Gaara's. She felt him twitch slightly beneath her touch before he stared down at her hand. She could hear that his breathing had increased slightly so she removed her hand. However, it didn't get far before his shot out and grabbed hold of it in a slightly painful grip. Ignoring the pain, because she thought she deserved it, Sakura looked up at him to see that he was still staring at her hand.

Sensing her gaze, he looked up and their eyes met. As it had been earlier in the night, Sakura couldn't look away as Gaara's intense eyes pierced through her, and her breath caught in her throat. Time seemed to stand still as he moved nearer until their lips were so close that she could feel his breath on hers. Her heart completely stopped for two seconds before starting up again with a much faster rhythm, then suddenly she pulled away.

Before she could speak, though, Gaara beat her to it. "Sorry," he mumbled, releasing her hand and looking away.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady her shaking nerves. "It's not your fault," she told him, opening her eyes again and looking at him. "I just can't…"

"You can't because of him," Gaara interrupted, standing up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

Now it was Sakura's turn to interrupt him. Standing abruptly, she reached up, wrapped her arms around him and planted a kiss on him. She could feel his shock as she continued to kiss him, and could even sense his confusion. Despite this, though, he wrapped his arms around her and slowly kissed her back. They stayed like this until they both needed to breathe, then pulled apart with him looking questioningly down at her.

"That's not what I meant," Sakura whispered. "What I meant was that I can't do this without telling you… The reason why I'm not with Neji now is…"

Gaara silenced her with his lips, crushing hers in a quick and bruising kiss. Pulling away, he said fiercely, "I don't want to know."

"But I have to… Mmph!"

Kisses were apparently very good for shutting someone up, but dammit! Sakura knew she needed to tell him… There was something she had to… Oh, fuck it all! Eagerly she responded to Gaara's ministrations, especially when his hands began to wander. One crept up her shirt to brush against and then cup a breast while the other one moved to her bottom. Sakura's own hands came up to thread through his hair, and her head arched back as he moved his kisses down her throat.

"Gaara," she moaned, and a small part of her mentally cheered at moaning the right name this time.

He growled into her neck, and she recognised it as a very satisfied sound. Pressing herself against him, she wasn't surprised when Gaara's sand suddenly swirled up around them and they were suddenly in a completely different place. A quick glance around had Sakura recognising one of the official ambassadorial suites in the building next to the Hokage's building. It looked like renovations had been done for this one, though.

Before anything in particular could happen, Sakura pulled away from him, ignoring her body's protestations. Gaara simply stared at her as she gulped nervously before stepping back. He still stood there, motionless and with a blank expression on his face. Hesitantly she looked away, staring at the floor until he closed the distance between them and cupped her chin with his fingers, making her look at him.

"Sakura," he whispered. "If you don't want to do this, then I understand."

Sakura raised a hand to the one that kept her captive and grasped it in her own before replying, "I do want to, but I need to tell you something first."

A dark look crossed his face before Gaara snapped, "I don't really want to hear it. You're just going to tell me about the Hyuuga, aren't you? I saw you outside the club, I know what you were doing. I heard you say my name."

Shock was plastered all over her face. _He'd heard that !? _Sakura simply could not hide the look on her face, and she heard him sigh. Roughly, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair.

"I don't know what happened with the two of you after that," he mumbled into her cherry locks. "I left because I was shocked. Why did you say my name?"

"I don't know," Sakura whispered. "I think… I think it's because of what Temari told me."

Gaara pulled away from her and looked down at her enquiringly. There was no way that she was going to tell him that she knew that he loved her, that was for _him_ to tell her.

So instead she said, "She told me what happened the next morning, you know, after I left. She said you were looking everywhere for me. I guess she figured that you probably cared about me or something, going by your reaction."

Sakura closed her eyes and breathed in as Gaara pulled her close to him again. "I was extremely worried," he admitted. "I didn't understand why you'd left."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He shook his head. "I told you," he said. "You don't need to be sorry."

Once again, their lips met in a fierce kiss as Gaara started to push her towards the bed. Sakura allowed herself to fall onto the soft mattress, watching him as he followed her down. His hands wandered over her body, going lower until he reached her feet, pulling her shoes off. Moving back up, he tugged at her skirt until it came off, then began to kiss at her throat, moving downwards and removing the buttons off her shirt as he went.

Now Sakura was only in her bra and panties, but Gaara was still fully dressed. Not happy with that, she decided to take control, and when he lay over her to catch her lips with his, she pushed him on his back and began to return the favour. He smirked at her when she yanked his boots off, rather forcibly, then began to undo and unbuckle his clothing. Gaara hadn't been wearing his usual attire, just a mesh shirt, coat and pants. Definitely much easier to take off, Sakura decided.

As soon as he was down to his boxers, Gaara decided to take control back and flipped them again, running his hands over her body. Sakura shivered in delight as his fingers worked the clasp of her bra and her breasts were released from their confinement. Instantly his lips were upon them, and as she moaned in pleasure, she remembered that he'd liked them a lot last time, too.

As he suckled her almost seemed to purr contentedly, and the sound turned her on even more than she already was. Gaara's hands began to wander downwards and his fingers hooked on her lacy white underwear, pulling them down so that now she was completely bared to him. Sakura moaned in displeasure when he detached his mouth from her breast, but she gasped when he moved further down, and she spread her legs apart for him, knowing where he was going.

Her hips jerked off the bed the instant he dipped his tongue into her soft folds. Sakura cried out as Gaara pushed deeper into her, his hand coming up to hold her hips down. He pressed his tongue flat against her and she whimpered at the intense pleasure that this caused.

"Gaara!" she cried. "Oh kami!"

When he nibbled lightly on her pearl, she screamed in ecstasy as she suddenly came. Her hands, which had unknowingly come up to thread through his hair, gripped his locks tightly as she spilled over in her climax. Gaara licked up the remains of her juices then moved up to hover over her. He captured her lips with his, and Sakura could taste herself on him. Then he positioned himself and pushed.

Barely any time had passed for her to recover, but now Sakura could feel heat building up inside her again as Gaara's steady thrusts began the dance all over again. Raising her leg, she wrapped it around him securely, meeting him thrust for thrust as they moved together. Moans once more escaped her lips as they danced, and she held on tightly to him as he pounded ferociously into her.

Sakura could feel another orgasm coming, and this time she rode out with him. Gaara swore as she clamped down hard around him, milking him for all he was worth. After a few more thrusts, he collapsed on top of her, and they lay like that for awhile before moving as they began their dance again.

Much later into the night, Sakura lay there only half awake, listening to the sound of Gaara's steady breathing. There was no way, absolutely _no way, _that she was going to take off again, and she smiled as his arms tightened unconsciously around her. She wanted to stick around this time, see what happened. Turning to face him, she kissed his lips lightly, smiling when Gaara's eyes cracked open slightly.

The next morning Sakura woke languorously, rolling over to come face to face with Gaara once more. She smiled. He really looked cute while he slept, she decided, so peaceful. Tenderly she raised her hand to his cheek, lightly brushing her fingers over the soft skin. He stirred only slightly, and she smiled. But then the smile vanished as her stomach made a weird flip-flop, and not the good kind.

Sakura shot up in the bed, then rushed, still naked, to the bathroom where she proceeded to throw up in the toilet. What the hell? She hadn't drunk enough to have a hangover from last night, so why was she…? The sound of Gaara coming into the room behind her barely distracted her from the train her thoughts were suddenly on. Throwing up. Why else would she throw up? Wait… when did she last…?

As Gaara knelt beside her, brushing back her hair with his fingers and quietly asking if she was alright, Sakura felt an all-consuming panic begin to overwhelm her. There was only one response for all this that was even registering in her head at that moment, and for some reason, she voiced it.

"Oh shit!"

**Ok, that was an absolutely great place to end it, wasn't it? …What? You don't agree? Well, never mind. You'll be able to find out how things go in the next sequel, and as soon as I can, I'll start planning for that. But don't expect it to come anytime soon. Unless I'm hit by an epiphany, it might take awhile. Not too long, but not too quick, either.**

**Anyway, make sure you review. It's a sure-fire way to encourage the sequel. See ya!**


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